A deadly game
by MagickLady666
Summary: Betrayal and Love all mixed in with new allies and unexpected friends


The snow lay thick and white on the grounds of Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

The air was calm, the snow fell steadily and the full moon shone down on a small figure hunched against an ancient gnarled oak tree at the edge of the Forbidden forest.

His dark hair was plastered wetly against his head and his clothes were soaked through, but in his anguish he didn't seem to notice.

He was 16 year old Harry Potter, 'The boy who lived'.

At the moment though he wished that he had never survived the night his parents had died. All the years in between that horrible Halloween night and tonight had finally taken their toll on the young man.

The verbal and physical abuse he received for the last 15 years from his 'family' the Dursleys.

The fickleness of the wizards and witches living in magical Britain, who believed him to be either their saviour or the next dark lord, depending on whatever the wizarding newspaper the Daily Prophet was printing at the time, all without never having met Harry at all.

The jealousy and betrayal of his supposed best mate one Ronald Billius Weasley. The obviously fake adoration he received from Ginny Weasley, Ron's sister for being the famous 'Harry Potter', never just plain Harry.

The manipulations of the great Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts who it is entirely possible orchestrated almost all the terrible things in Harry's life.

The death of his beloved godfather, Sirius Black and finally but most certainly not the least of Harry's problems, 'Voldemort' or Tom Marvelo Riddle the 'Dark Lord', the evil wizard who has made it his business to try to kill Harry at every opportunity for the last 15 years.

Harry had finally had enough when earlier that evening on his way to the kitchens under his invisibility cloak he had overheard a conversation between Ron and Ginny in the Gryffindor common room.

"Ron, you can hardly blame Professor Dumbledore not wanting to pay you your fee for being best friends with Harry. After all you have been arguing and belittling him for the last 3 months." Whispered Ginny.

"Oh and look who's talking Ginny, all you care about is getting 'the boy who lived' to go out with you so you can spend all his money before 'you know who' kills him." Ron whispered back.

Neither traitorous friend had realised that anyone had overheard their whispered betrayal let alone the injured party.

Harry had hurriedly left the common room and run wildly out of the castle, tears streaming down his cheeks, dropping his cloak in his hurry to be as far away from this latest betrayal as possible.

He had run recklessly through the snow not realising how wet and chilled he was as it was nowhere near the coldness in his heart. He ran and ran until he could run no more, ending up collapsing against the old oak tree at the edge of the forest.

Unbeknownst to Harry someone had seen his flight from the castle had heard the treacherous duo and had retrieved Harry's fallen cloak. Someone who's job it is to remain unobtrusive as they go about their daily chores, someone most wizards and witches take no notice of most of the time. A house elf, but not just any house elf.

Dobby was a free elf, something almost unknown in these times, and a great friend of Harry James Potter.

Dobby was both worried about his friend and absolutely furious with the two Weasley children and Headmaster Dumbledore and a furious elf was not something that had been seen in a thousand years. Dobby was literally the only free house elf to have survived his freedom since house elf slavery had begun over a thousand years before. Therefore nobody alive in this age was aware of the power and determination contained in this tiny creature.

Holding Harry's cloak in his hand, Dobby snapped his fingers and was transported to the oak tree Harry was crouched against. He put his hand on Harry's bent head and in that instant both were gone from Hogwarts without anyone being the wiser.

The wind picked up and the snow fell faster covering the tracks in the snow as if they had never been.

Harry looked up as he felt the touch on his head, right into a pair of huge gentle eyes. "Oh Dobby, what am I going to do? I'm all alone again." Harry started to sob on his little friend "Harry Potter sir is not to worry, Dobby is being taking care of yous and Dobby is being your friend. Nobody else is hurting Harry Potter sir ever again, not the bad Wheezies and not the nasty old Dumbles."

Harry smiled through his tears at his little friend; nobody had ever stuck by Harry to the extent that Dobby had, and even going against his former masters the Malfoys to help him.

He looked around noticing for the first time that it was warm and dry and definitely not Hogwarts, but the most amazing thing was that it looked like it was a beautiful summer day. Magic was an amazing thing. They were in a large field surrounded by hills, filled with flowers and trees, a large stream wound its way through the trees and there were what looked like doorways built into the hillside. "Where are we Dobby?"

"We's is being in Lanforlorn Harry Potter sir, the home of the field elves." Dobby replied.

"Field elves? I don't think I've ever heard of field elves" said Harry forgetting his troubles for a minute.

Dobby was happy to see Harry taking an interest in something, this was a good sign and something Dobby could work with.

"Field elves is now being called house elves Harry Potter sir, and has been since the time of the great trickery. This is being our original home."


End file.
